Senate Announces Committee Chairs, Vice-Chairs Ahead of 2023 Session

Several new faces will be sworn into the Kentucky state Senate when lawmakers begin the 2023 legislative session on January 3, meaning several shifts in the makeup of the various committees throughout the body. On Tuesday, the Senate Majority Caucus announced its chairs and vice chairs of the various standing and statutory committees, as well as the budget review subcommittees.

Committee assignments are not final until the Senate Committee on Committees makes a formal vote. The Committee on Committees membership comprises both Senate majority and minority caucus members. Committee appointments are subject to change.

The following are the anticipated chairs and vice chairs of each committee, as announced by Senate Majority Leadership:

Standing Committees:

Senate Agriculture Committee:

Chair: Sen. Jason Howell, R-Murray

Vice-chair: Senator-elect Gary Boswell, R-Owensboro

Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee:

Chair: Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ryland Heights

Vice-chair: Senator-elect Amanda Mays Bledsoe, R-Lexington

Budget Review Subcommittee co-chairs:

• Econ. Dev., Tourism, Nat. Resources and Envir. Prot.: Senator-elect Gary Boswell, R-Owensboro
• Education: Senator-elect Matt Deneen, R-Elizabethtown
• Gen. Govt., Finance and Public Protection: Sen. Mike Nemes, R-Shepherdsville
• Human Resources: Sen. Donald Douglas, R-Nicholasville
• Justice and Judiciary: Senator-elect Gex “Jay” Williams, R-Verona

Senate Banking and Insurance Committee:

Chair: Sen. Jared Carpenter, R-Berea

Vice-chair: Sen. Rick Girdler, R-Somerset

Senate Economic Development, Tourism and Labor Committee:

Chair: Sen. Max Wise, R-Campbellsville

Vice-chair: Sen. Phillip Wheeler, R-Pikeville

Senate Education Committee

Chair: Sen. Steve West, R-Paris

Vice-chair: Senator-elect Gex “Jay” Williams, R-Verona

Senate Families and Children Committee

Chair: Sen. Danny Carroll, R-Benton

Vice-chair: Senate Majority Caucus Chair Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville

Senate Health Services Committee:

Chair: **Senator Ralph Alvarado, R-Winchester

Vice-chair: Senator Steve Meredith, R-Leitchfield

**Upon the anticipated resignation of Sen. Ralph Alvarado, Sen. Steve Meredith will assume the chair position for the committee, and Sen. Donald Douglas will take the role of vice-chair.

Note: The Senate divided the Health and Welfare Committee into two new committees in efforts to provide opportunities for additional consideration of social service and health service issues.  The new Family and Children Committee will focus on child welfare, adult protective services, guardianship, child care and other social service programs and public assistance programs such as TANF, CCAP and SNAP. The new Health Services Committee will focus on health care and delivery matters such as public health, Medicaid, mental health and health facilities. These new Senate standing committees will include the previous Child Welfare Oversight and Advisory and Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Statutory Committees jurisdiction, which were repealed during the 2022 legislative session.

Senate Judiciary Committee:

Chair: Sen. Whitney Westerfield, R-Crofton

Vice-chair: Sen. Phillip Wheeler, R-Pikeville

Senate Licensing and Occupations Committee:

Chair: Sen. John Schickel, R-Union

Vice-Chair: Sen. Mike Nemes, R-Shepherdsville

Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee:

Chair: Sen. Brandon Smith, R-Hazard

Vice-chair: Sen. Johnnie Turner, R-Harlan

Senate State and Local Government Committee:

Chair: Sen. Robby Mills, R-Henderson

Vice-chair: Sen Mike Nemes, R-Shepherdsville

Senate Transportation Committee:

Chair: Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon

Vice-chair: Sen. Brandon Storm, R-London

Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee:

Chair: Sen. Rick Girdler, R-Somerset

Vice-chair: Senator-elect Matt Deneen, R-Elizabethtown

For more information on Senate standing committees, please click here.

Statutory Committees

Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee:

Senate Co-chair: Sen. Steve West, R-Paris

Capital Planning Advisory Board:

Senate Co-chair: Sen. Phillip Wheeler, R-Pikeville

Capitol Projects and Bond Oversight:

Senate Co-chair: Sen. Rick Girdler, R-Somerset

Government Contract Review:

Senate Co-chair: Sen. Steve Meredith, R-Leitchfield

Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee:

Senate Co-chair: Sen. Brandon Storm, R-London

Public Pension Oversight Board:

Senate Co-chair: Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon

Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity:

Senate Co-Chair: Senate President Pro Tempore David Givens, R-Greensburg

Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee:

Senate Co-chair: Senator-elect Amanda Mays Bledsoe, R-Lexington

For more information on statutory committees, please click here.

Additional Information:

Per the Constitution of Kentucky, Section 36, the Kentucky General Assembly must meet annually in Frankfort, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January. In even-numbered years, sessions may not last more than 60 legislative days and cannot extend beyond April 15. In odd-numbered years, sessions may not last more than 30 legislative days and cannot extend beyond March 30.